Abrasive tools such as grinding wheels useful in grinding the teeth of saw blades have been made by adhering diamond or borazon particles to the working surface area of the tool by means of an adherent matrix formed of resins, vitreous materials, sintered metals, vapor deposited metals, and electro-deposited metals or electroplating.
For many purposes electroplating, particularly electrodeposited nickel, has been the most satisfactory matrix for securing the abrasive particles to the working area of the tool blank. However, the abrasive tools heretofore available having electrically deposited matrices have had recognized disadvantages. Thus, problems were encountered with peeling of the plating from the tool blank. At times the tool life was unduly short due to over plating. Where the tool was under plated the abrasive particles would be stripped from the tool and the tool blank was frequently damaged. Also there was a tendency to obtain "grooving" in the abrasive coating and, in addition, lack of uniformity in the concentration of the abrasive particles -- both of which produced undesirable results and lack of uniformity and departure from tolerances in the products produced by the grinding tool. Difficulty was also encountered in bringing and holding the abrasive particles into contact with the working area surface during the plating operation and cumbersome and unsatisfactory expedients were resorted to in attempting to overcome this problem.